Polyanthracene is a π-conjugated polymer of anthracene monomers. It has attracted lots of attention in fundamental physics studies and potential applications in optoelectronics and microelectronics. Polyanthracene is usually prepared through two methods: electrochemical synthesis and chemical polymerization. However, the two methods have shortcomings in practical application. For example, the electrochemical synthesis method requires complicated reaction equipment, and the polyanthracene yield is low due to size limitations of the electrode area. The chemical polymerization method involves dangerous and potentially violent reactions and the production yield is also low.
Furthermore, the polyanthracene obtained from the two methods mentioned above have some limitations in physical characteristics. First, the polyanthracene has low solubility in common organic solvents such as tetrahydrofuran and chloroform. Second, the polyanthracene typically has a low degree of polymerization, and thus shows low thermal stability and low char yield.
In one study using an electrochemical method, anthracene was polymerized using boron trifluoride diethyl etherate as an electrolyte. According to the study, polyanthracene with 4-17 repeating anthracene units was obtained, its conductivity was measured as around 0.1 S/cm, and the product yield was calculated to be approximately 25% (B. Fan, et al, “Electrochemical polymerization of anthracene in boron trifluoride diethyl etherate”, Journal of Electroanalytical Chemistry, 575:287-292 (2005)).